Seau in Oakland was can’t miss entertainment

Some day either there will be a new football stadium in Oakland or the Raiders will leave town, but they’ll never replace the memories that only a few of us in the business had when watching Junior Seau play at the Coliseum.

Say what you will about the crumbling Coliseum, but the best thing about being part of the home team media is that opposing coaches are right next door in what is normally the home radio booth for baseball. A thin sheet of plexiglass is all that separates the visiting coaches from the press.

That was never more advantageous or entertaining than when Seau played against the Raiders in Oakland, which fortunately happened every season. It was one of the first things I thought of today when the news broke that Seau had taken his own life at age 43.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with bad news, and in this case, I’ll choose to remember the reaction Seau often got from his own coaching staff when facing the Raiders, because it will never fail to make me smile.

Seau played linebacker as if it were a saxophone in a jazz composition. He knew the notes, but was a firm believer in instinct and improvisation.

It drove his coaches nuts on game day. Here they had painstakingly put in a game plan, with every permutation accounted for. Only to have Seau freelance and play from the heart.

“#!%&!$#@ Junior, what the hell are you doing!,” coaches would shriek through into their headsets. “No, no, no no! . . . . Yes, yes, yes, yes!! . . . Great play, Junior!.”

It was incredible theater, listning to his coaches rip Seau for his freelancing and then in the next instant be delighted when he came up with a big play.

We usually got Seau once a year on the conference call the Chargers set up with opposing writers, and he seldom failed to disappoint. He spoke from the heart, his passion for the sport always evident.

I mentioned to Seau the things we’d heard in the press box, how coaches were besides themselves because he’d gone his own way, then ecstatic a moment later when he made a big play.

I thought I’d get at least a chuckle out of it, instead, he seemed a little disgusted.

Seau explained that perhaps the coaches never understood that perhaps his instinct came from extensive study and passion for the game. That maybe he knew what he was doing it was probably time the coaches understood that, although Seau seemed to doubt they ever would.

To be fair, there were games, particularly in the Jon Gruden years, where the Raiders seemed to be able to lure Seau out of position and his impact would be minimal. But those instances were far outweighed by the times Seau was a legitimate force. To my knowledge, there was never a time when anyone associated the Raiders ever looked forward to playing him other than having the opportunity to measure themselves against an all-time great.

There were no mixed emotions in the visiting press box, where the Seau dynamic was as good as it gets.

Now the question becomes, did Ron Wolf turn Mark Davis on to Reggie McKenzie in Oakland so that his son could get promoted to Reggie’s old job in Green Bay ??

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I believe that was the dream scenario for all parties involved.

DIRT-LOT FOOTBALL

OK,ON TO JFK & 911 SINCE WE R TALKING CONSPIRACY’S..

RaiderRockstar

@ Dirt Lot

what about Jimmy Hoffa?

DIRT-LOT FOOTBALL

JIMMY HOFFA LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME..

RaiderRockstar

Lakers & Heat actually dropped a game over the weekend (3-1) ??

Spurs should be able to wrap things up tonight and sweep like OKC did

hwnrdr

1422.DIRT-LOT FOOTBALL Says:
May 7th, 2012 at 6:29 am
JIMMY HOFFA LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME..

LOL, Pat Morita lived across me also…and he had a fishing boat!

DIRT-LOT FOOTBALL

RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ELVIS !!

hwnrdr

The Knicks actually beat the Heat? Were they resting LeBron, Wade and Bosh? I know Bosh had a baby, but played that game right?

RaiderRockstar

Wade went 9/18
James went 9/21

and the Heat only lost by 2 ??

bwahahahahahaha!!

the Knicks are hot garbage.

just an off-night for the boys in black

RaiderRockstar

when does Artest come back?

Game 6 or 7 versus Denver ???

r8eray

Good Morning A.M. Crew!

r8eray

RaiderRockstar Says:
May 7th, 2012 at 6:47 am
when does Artest come back?

Game 6 or 7 versus Denver ???

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Naw man…it aint going to 6 or 7! He’ll be back the 2nd game vs the Thunder to elbow that biatch one more time!

bcz24

Jacoby Ford is a oft-injured smurf who runs bad routes and has too many drops & fumbles for my liking..
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And you want Jacoby Jones? LOL… (he has 8 fumbles as a returner, and 2 as a receiver, very similar to Ford)

Naw man…it aint going to 6 or 7! He’ll be back the 2nd game vs the Thunder to elbow that biatch one more time!

Yup, because LA SHOULD close out Denver at home in 5…then it will be game 2 versus OKC in Oklahoma where he can come back. get a steal there coming back home COULD spell trouble for the rest of the league! But, Bynum has to keep playing and no more blow ups like in game 3 (even though Sessions made the put back…)

hwnrdr

However, since you’re asking…IF it did go to 7, that is when Artest will be back!

Marks hair

How about a new post? You could title it..”here’s a new post.”

R8ER MIKE

lol.. the new post will say “Live Chat on Tuesday” !!

hwnrdr

1435.R8ER MIKE Says:
May 7th, 2012 at 7:13 am
lol.. the new post will say “Live Chat on Tuesday” !!

LOL, that is probably true, Mike!

RaiderRockstar

And you want Jacoby Jones? LOL… (he has 8 fumbles as a returner, and 2 as a receiver, very similar to Ford)

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@bcz

I’ll admit, I don’t know much about JJones. I just know that he’s available and he’s familiar with our offense (like Leinart). He’s probably cheap & young enough. WR corps is far from being set or we would not have drafted Criner imo. Even better that this kid has value on returns. Outside of Higgins, Ford & Justin Miller – our return game has been non-existant for 10 years!

just something to talk about man. I’m not going to write you a 5-page essay of why this dude should be a Raider

Marks hair

Im hearing alot of complaints about how boring the nba playoffs have been, but the games ive watched have been pretty close with some great player preformances..

hwnrdr

I think the only real boring one so far is the Indiana/Orlando one…

r8eray

Marks Hair Says:
May 7th, 2012 at 7:10 am
How about a new post? You could title it..”here’s a new post.”

R8ER MIKE Says:
May 7th, 2012 at 7:13 am
lol.. the new post will say “Live Chat on Tuesday” !!

I appreciate the time and effort it takes to write a new post, I’m sure Jerry and Steve are working hard at it!

😉

http://www.addictedtoquack.com RaiderDuck

From Peter King’s “10 Things I Think I Think:”

5. I think I like several of new Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie’s signings of free agent marginalia. Ron Bartell may resuscitate a flagging career and could still be an effective cornerback, for instance. But the signing that may pay off most handsomely is bringing in Matt Leinart. Ask the Texans: He was just getting it, just turning around his disappointing career, when he got hurt in midseason last fall. I can tell you coach Gary Kubiak thought the Texans would be able to be offensively explosive after losing Matt Schaub, because he knew what he had in Leinart. Now Leinart will back up Carson Palmer, and though Leinart shouldn’t count on playing unless Palmer gets hurt, I count Leinart as one of the best insurance policies in the NFL. Some day he’ll get another chance, and I think he’ll be ready.

Ford has drops & fumbles in crucial moments of the game. bad routes, too. It’s like he’s in his own head.

Against SF in ’10. JCamp hits Ford on a crossing route in the 4th qtr. We were down 8 points. It’s 3rd down. Pass hits Ford on the numbers. bounces off his chest. punt

Against J-Ville in ’10. game was tied in the closing minutes. Ford fumbles the return and they get it at our 20 yard line

Last year in WK17, Palmer throws to Ford (WTF was he thinking?) rewatch the play… with 4 minutes left in the game. Cason gets the pick. thats the ballgame.

now show me some examples of DHB doing the same thing during key moments (4th qtr, 3rd down, etc)

RaiderRockstar

the signing that may pay off most handsomely is bringing in Matt Leinart. Ask the Texans: He was just getting it, just turning around his disappointing career, when he got hurt in midseason last fall. I can tell you coach Gary Kubiak thought the Texans would be able to be offensively explosive after losing Matt Schaub, because he knew what he had in Leinart. Now Leinart will back up Carson Palmer, and though Leinart shouldn’t count on playing unless Palmer gets hurt, I count Leinart as one of the best insurance policies in the NFL. Some day he’ll get another chance, and I think he’ll be ready.

I dont need anything new to read. I just want anew post so my phone will work faster.

bcz24

I’ll admit, I don’t know much about JJones. I just know that he’s available and he’s familiar with our offense (like Leinart). He’s probably cheap & young enough. WR corps is far from being set or we would not have drafted Criner imo. Even better that this kid has value on returns. Outside of Higgins, Ford & Justin Miller – our return game has been non-existant for 10 years!

just something to talk about man. I’m not going to write you a 5-page essay of why this dude should be a Raider
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I agree that we still need some help on WR, I was just pointing out the facts about Jacoby Jones. Trust me when I tell you, he is at BEST a clone of Ford (no where near as explosive in the return game, or rushing the ball)

DHB doesn’t have drops at crucial times? How about the fumble late in the Detroit game last year. Everyone points to the defensive let downs that game, myself included, but if DHB doesn’t cough that ball up we ice that game right there and the defense doesn’t matter… and lets be honest, before last season’s improvements DHB would never even be looked at in a crucial moment. Ford is still young, has a ton of upside (yeah he was oft injured last year, but who the heck wasn’t… he didn’t miss any games his rookie year). You were adamant that we give DHB at least 3 years to develop… shouldn’t Ford at least be given the same?